The New Zealand Initiative podcast

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39:28

Confidence. Courage. Boldness. We love to talk about them, post about them, hashtag them, and slap them on coffee mugs. But let’s be real—most of us aren’t sure how to actually build them in our own lives. Which is why we brought in Michelle “MACE” Curran , former fighter pilot and only the second woman in history to fly lead solo for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, to the show. Yep, she’s the real deal—flying combat missions, performing death-defying maneuvers in front of millions, and now, author of The Flip Side: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower. Mace knows better than anyone that courage and confidence don’t just magically appear. They’re built, brick by brick, in moments that test your nerve—whether that’s hitting nine G’s at supersonic speed or simply raising your hand in a room full of skeptics. In this episode, she drops a masterclass on how to flip fear on its head, use it as fuel, and create unshakable boldness in your everyday life. Connect with Michelle: Website: www.macecurran.com Book: www.macecurran.com/flipside IG : https://www.instagram.com/mace_curran/?hl=en LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macecurran Related Podcast Episodes Chasing Rejection: The Wild Strategy That Works with Alice Draper | 316 Unlocking Your Hidden Genius: How to Harness Your Innate Talents with Betsy Wills & Alex Ellison | Ep. 289 How To Build Courage with Dr. Margie Warrell | 273 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

The New Zealand Initiative

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Podcast by The New Zealand Initiative

308 episodios

The New Zealand Initiative

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updated hace 2 horas

Series en casa•Feed

Podcast by The New Zealand Initiative

308 episodios

#News #New Zealand #New Zealand Initiative

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The New Zealand Initiative

1
Sir Nick Gibb on what works in education reform 34:02

hace 2 hours34:02

34:02

In this episode, Michael talks with Sir Nick Gibb, who served as England’s Minister for Schools for a decade, about the evidence-based reforms that transformed English education through systematic phonics, a knowledge-rich curriculum, and structured maths teaching. They explore how progressive education ideology led to England’s earlier decline in international rankings, the cognitive science underpinning effective teaching, and New Zealand’s promising early results from adopting similar reforms.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Owning less to achieve more: Refocusing Kāinga Ora 20:51

hace 6 días20:51

20:51

In this episode, Oliver talks to Bryce Wilkinson about his new report examining Kāinga Ora, New Zealand's largest social housing provider, which manages around 78,000 units housing 200,000 people at a cost of roughly $2 billion annually to taxpayers. Bryce argues that the government could better support vulnerable New Zealanders by transitioning away from direct housing provision towards voucher schemes and other market-based alternatives that give tenants more choice whilst reducing costs. Read the report "Owning less to achieve more: Refocusing Kāinga Ora" on the Initiative's website here: https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/owning-less-to-achieve-more/…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Why New Zealand's productivity lags behind small European nations 37:14

hace 13 días37:14

37:14

In this episode, Oliver talks to Michael Johnston about New Zealand's productivity paradox and why the country underperforms economically despite having strong institutions. They discuss lessons from small European countries like Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, and the Netherlands, exploring how factors like decentralisation, foreign direct investment, trade integration, and national culture could help improve New Zealand's economic performance.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Building Nations: What Canada’s First Nations can teach us about devolution and development 25:27

hace 22 días25:27

25:27

In this episode, Oliver talks to Eric Crampton, the New Zealand Initiative's chief economist, about his latest report Building Nations examining Canadian First Nations' experiences with autonomous land development and what New Zealand might learn from them. They discuss how Canadian reserves transformed from heavily regulated, impoverished areas into thriving self-governing communities that are now solving urban housing crises through major development projects like the Squamish Nation's apartment towers in downtown Vancouver. Read our report "Building Nations: What Canada’s First Nations can teach us about devolution and development" here: https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports/building-nations-what-canadas-first-nations-can-teach-us-about-devolution-and-development/…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
What's driving grade inflation? 37:18

hace 28 días37:18

37:18

In this episode, James talks to Craig Mellare and Abdul Razeed, senior lecturers at the University of Sydney Business School, about their empirical study on grade inflation in Australian higher education. They discuss findings showing that grades have risen significantly over the past decade despite no improvement in student ability, and explore the institutional pressures driving this phenomenon including student evaluation systems, time constraints on academic staff, and the need to manage student appeals and expectations.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Building cyber resilience in New Zealand 33:07

hace 5 weeks33:07

33:07

In this episode, Oliver talks to Sam Andrews, Chief Strategy Officer at Bastion Security, about New Zealand’s cybersecurity landscape and the evolving threats facing organisations. They explore how AI is reshaping both attacks and defences, the strengths and weaknesses of New Zealand’s regulatory framework, and why building resilience is just as vital as strong security.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
When authoritarians silence universities 41:31

hace 5 weeks41:31

41:31

In this episode, James Kierstead talks with Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), about her forthcoming book Authoritarians in the Academy. They explore how authoritarian governments, particularly China, pressure universities abroad through funding ties, partnerships, and intimidation of students and scholars. The conversation covers cases from New Zealand and Australia, including cancelled Tiananmen Square events and harassment of pro-democracy students, as well as the investigation of China scholar Anne-Marie Brady. Sarah and James also discuss the role of Confucius Institutes and student groups, the influence of regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and broader threats to free expression including religious censorship laws and new restrictions on campus speech in the United States and parts of Europe.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
When tax policy goes wrong 39:28

hace 5 weeks39:28

39:28

In this episode, Eric and Nick talk to Michael Keen, a former Deputy Director of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department and co-author of "Rebellion, Rascals and Revenue", about the many ways taxation can go wrong throughout history. They explore bizarre historical taxes like Britain's window tax and ship taxation, discuss New Zealand's exemplary GST system, and examine how poor tax design can lead to smuggling, rebellions, and unintended economic distortions.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
What Adam Smith can teach us about regulating technology 46:43

hace 6 weeks46:43

46:43

In this episode, Oliver talks to Stephen Crosswell, a partner at Baker and McKenzie in Hong Kong, the world’s strongest law firm brand. He is chair of the firm’s Asia-Pacific Antitrust & Competition Group and one of Hong Kong’s leading trial lawyers, admitted to practise in five countries. Stephen has seen first-hand how law shapes innovation, and he joins Oliver to explore what history, from Roman law to Adam Smith and the Industrial Revolution, can reveal about the forces driving change today. Their conversation centres on Stephen’s paper "The Common Law and Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations", which asks whether the legal system we have makes a difference to whether our societies can innovate, prosper, and deliver material improvements to our quality of life. They consider why common law’s flexibility may provide a stronger foundation than sweeping regulation for addressing the challenges of artificial intelligence and digital platforms.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Unscrambling Government: Less confusion, more efficiency 29:12

hace 7 weeks29:12

29:12

In this episode, Oliver talks to Roger Partridge about his new report "Unscrambling Government," which proposes consolidating New Zealand's extraordinarily complex government structure from 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers, and 43 departments down to a more manageable 15-20 portfolios with corresponding departmental consolidation. They discuss how New Zealand's fragmented ministerial system creates accountability problems, increases fiscal costs, and hampers effective decision-making on critical issues like housing affordability, comparing unfavourably to other small advanced economies that operate with far simpler structures. Read the report here: https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/unscrambling-government-less-confusion-more-efficiency/…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Breaking down barriers not breaking up supermarkets 30:38

hace 8 weeks30:38

30:38

In this episode, Oliver talks to Eric Crampton and Benno Blaschke about the New Zealand government’s supermarket competition reforms, which closely reflect The New Zealand Initiative’s policy framework—a major policy win that saw their research inform the Minister of Finance’s approach. They explain how their practical policy document shifted government thinking away from heavy-handed breakups and toward tackling the real structural barriers in planning and regulation.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Why getting an A at university is so easy now 32:02

hace 8 weeks32:02

32:02

In this episode, Oliver talks to James Keirstead about his latest research report "Amazing Grades" which provides the first systematic analysis of grade inflation across all New Zealand universities. They discuss how A-grades have increased by 13 percentage points over two decades, reaching 35% of all grades awarded, and explore potential solutions including statistical moderation systems and national examinations to restore meaningful academic standards. You can read Dr Kierstead's report "Amazing Grades: Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities" here: https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/amazing-grades-grade-inflation-at-new-zealand-universities/…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
How Trump lost ground to Putin in Anchorage 28:02

hace 9 weeks28:02

28:02

In this episode, Benno Blaschke talks to Oliver Hartwich about the recent Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, where Trump appeared to abandon the Western position of seeking a ceasefire first in favour of Putin's demand for an immediate "peace deal" that would cement Russian territorial gains. They discuss the troubling implications of Trump applauding Putin on arrival, the bizarre shared ride in the presidential limousine, and how this summit signals a dangerous shift from rules-based international order to great power politics that could embolden other territorial aggressors, particularly China.…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
How professional licencing restricts competition 30:07

hace 10 weeks30:07

30:07

In this episode, Eric talks to Ben Hamlin, Barrister at Clifton Chambers, about new Commerce Commission guidelines on occupational regulation and how professional licencing systems can restrict competition and increase prices for consumers. They discuss how government-created licencing boards often operate like cartels by limiting who can enter professions, and how the Commission's new guidance aims to prevent these anti-competitive practices. Related links: • Cabinet Office Circular CO (99) 6: Policy framework for occupational regulation. - https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/co-99-6-policy-framework-occupational-regulation • Commerce Commission. 2025. Occupational regulation guidelines. - https://comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/367556/Occupational-Regulations-Guidelines-July-2025.pdf…

The New Zealand Initiative

1
Going Dutch: Lessons from the Netherlands 31:32

hace 11 weeks31:32